Playing With Lemurs
by Agent-Ayu
Summary: With the Storybrooke leaders gone, the town is left without a mayor and a sheriff. In a turn of events Ruby finds herself on that adventure with lemurs she once desired, but she's not the only one playing with the lemurs since someone has to fill the role of mayor for the time being.


**Playing With Lemurs**

**By: AgentAyu  
**

**Chapter 01****  
**

**Summary:** With the Storybrooke leaders gone, the town is left without a mayor and a sheriff. In a turn of events Ruby finds herself on that adventure with lemurs she once desired, but she's not the only playing with the lemurs since someone has to fill the role of mayor for the time being.

**Notes:** My ATLA readers are probably going to kill me for posting a new story instead of working on my ATLA fics, but this has been running through my head for days. Also I may have possibly submitted this as a RedBeauty headcanon thought on Tumblr and saw others liked the idea too.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters, OUAT, or any Disney copyright characters.

* * *

Ruby let out a deep breath into the cold morning air. She didn't know what it was, but she knew something was different. With everything that had been happening lately with Tamara and Greg, Henry's father, Belle losing her memory, Cora … it was a little too quiet and the feeling in the air was very different. There wasn't that high tension since yesterday, what changed?

Just as she was about to open the diner, Ruby looked over at the library and was surprised to see light shining through the apartment above. The light hadn't been on since Belle's accident. She wanted to go over and check it out, but Granny would have had her head if she didn't open the diner on time. After all, Ruby was being trained to someday take over the place. She'll use her lunch break to make sure everything was alright in the library. Her wolf didn't feel anything bad coming from the place and for now that was good enough for her.

* * *

Today was becoming stranger and stranger. Emma didn't show up for her morning hot chocolate and bear claw, she also didn't see Mary Margaret nor David at all, also Clark somehow got his memories back, which led to Ruby pulling Leroy off to the side for more information.

"How did that happen?"

Leroy gave Ruby a huge smile. "Mother Superior came up with the cure!"

Ruby's frowned. "Just like that? She came up with a cure. Sorry, but I'm having trouble registering that she was miraculously come up with a cure without trial and error." She also wasn't a fan of the Blue Fairy since she was a little girl.

"You and Gold! She found the ingredient after she turned August back into Pinocchio. She brewed the potion and anyone who was under the curse had to drink the potion out of something important to them." He saw Ruby's eyes widen as the wolf girl went into thought. "And yes, Belle was given one too. She's back!"

* * *

"Hey, Tiana, I'm going on my break. Can you hold down the fort?" Ruby asked as she filled a to-go cup of ice tea.

"Ruby, no offense, but I've worked in this diner just as long as you have. I'm pretty sure I can take care of it while you're gone." Tiana laughed. "Yes, I know. Don't let Charlotte into the kitchen."

The wolf girl looked at her co-worker. "And don't let Naveen near any heat source." Tiana saluted Ruby as the other girl left the diner.

She stood outside the library, hesitant to go in. Ruby hated herself for not trying to help Belle out more after the other girl left the hospital, but one run in with Lacey was enough for Ruby to try and handle. Lacey reminded Ruby too much of… well, Ruby. Ruby without Red. Ruby without Red and the wolf. She helped Lacey out by allowing the girl to raid her closet when they bumped into each other the first time. Belle's Storybrooke counterpart practically took every clothing that Ruby wore. The other times she and Lacey ran into each other was when Ruby found the other girl with different guys in the back alley of the diner every time she took the trash out. Most of the time it left Lacey smirking at Ruby and giving her a remark that the wolf girl was missing out. Ruby calming replied each time that she had been there and done that as well as giving Lacey some words of advice. That was all she could do. Lacey didn't want anyone's help, Lacey wasn't Belle, but both shared one common trait. They wanted to have a choice. If Ruby kept pressing on Lacey and trying to force the counterpart to do something else, it would have caused more problems with Lacey purposely doing the opposite. Ruby knew those tricks because she had done them herself, it was best to keep an eye on the other girl.

Ruby pushed the door open and took a deep breath smelling the pages of the books and the scent she grew to know before the accident. Following her nose, she navigated to the back of the library and saw Belle on the ground with a pile of books around her while she read 'The Mysterious Island'. This brought a smile to Ruby's face as she leaned against one of the bookshelves watching the other girl.

Sensing another presence, Belle looked up and slightly jumped seeing Ruby. The taller girl chuckled nervously, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Belle? Or would you prefer Lacey?"

"Uh… Belle. Lacey… was interesting, but she's not who I would want to be. I do accept that she and I are one though. I'm re-reading our book." Belle held up The Mysterious Island. "So, I guess you heard I got my memories back."

"Yeah… Leroy told me. I'm glad to see you're better."

Belle stood up. "Thank you for looking after me while Lacey was running wild."

Ruby shrugged. "Even though Lacey was the one in control, I knew my friend was still in there and I knew all the tricks Lacey was trying to pull from twenty-eight years of experience I had from being just Ruby. Not Red and Ruby. Here." She handed the ice tea to Belle. "A little bit of a homecoming gift. From what Granny told me, you didn't even drink ice tea as Lacey."

The smaller woman smiled and took a sip of the ice tea. "Where were you? Besides the times in the back alley, we… she… I… didn't see you at all."

"About that, I was being selfish. After Lacey raided through my closet, it finally struck me that you were gone. That time in the hospital, that was one thing, but seeing Lacey… she was different than who I saw at the hospital. When I looked at Lacey, I felt helpless that I couldn't bring my friend back." Ruby looked into Belle's eyes. "I'm sorry for being selfish and a coward. I should have done better as a friend."

The librarian put the drink down before wrapping her arms around Ruby's waist. "No, thank you. I understand that it must have been hard on you. On everyone. Is that why I didn't see you in the diner whenever I came in while being Lacey." Ruby nodded while Belle gave a small smile. "Granny seemed rather protective."

"According to her, you are part of the pack. She and I will always been looking out for you in some form or another." The waitress bit her lip before asking her next question. "So… has Gold been in to see you at all today. I heard from Leroy that he gave Gold the potion to restore your memories. It's been a little too quiet today, not that I'm saying Gold is up to something, just compared to what happened yesterday it's way too quiet. I hadn't even seen Snow or Emma all day. Come to think of it I hadn't even seen David or Henry ei-"

"They're gone." Ruby and Belle stared at each other before Belle continued. "Henry was taken to Neverland. Rumple, Regina, Mary Margaret, David, Emma, and Hook went after Henry."

Ruby stepped back to let everything sink in. "Gone? Our town leaders are gone along with the pirate and the Dark One? What are you going to do? We're not exactly safe now that people from the outside can come in!"

"Rumple gave me a spell that should cloak the town again. The problem is I don't have magic and can't cast it." Belle sat down on the couch. "This all happened so fast. For weeks I was Lacey, for most of yesterday I was her, and then I was back. Next thing I know they were leaving because Henry was kidnapped. I don't know what to do."

The waitress slowly sat down next to the librarian. "Maybe we could ask the fairies to cast the spell. Anything to protect our town from outsiders is better than nothing. Though, they might be hesitant since it is Gold's spell." Ruby bumped her shoulder gently against Belle's. "And don't worry, if it starts get overwhelming I'm here for you. You're part of the pack now."

Belle smiled and gently bumped Ruby's shoulder before placing her head on it. "Thank you."

"Have you eaten yet?"

"No…" Belle replied slowly.

"Belle!"

"I'm sorry! I was organizing the books, but got a little caught up on _The Mysterious Island_!"

Ruby stood up and pulled Belle to her feet. "No, excuse. C'mon. I'm on my lunch break, so you and I can eat whatever we want at the diner. On me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, but we have to make a quick stop at the sheriff's office. If Emma and the others are gone, there might be a few calls waiting on the answering machine there."

Belle grabbed her coat as the two exited the library. "How do you plan on getting in if Emma is gone?"

Ruby pulled out her ring of keys that held more than the keys to her room, car, and the diner. "I have the spare key to the sheriff's office. Before the curse broke I didn't work at the diner for about a week after having a fight with Granny." She felt Belle loop around her arm before they walked towards the station. "Anyways I had this crazy idea about leaving for Boston and finding work elsewhere, but since buses don't usually come here… and don't ask how Henry managed to leave to go to Boston to find Emma… either way I ended up working at the sheriff's office temporarily as a secretary and deputy. Though the first and only case I worked on was enough for me to appreciate what I had at the diner with Granny and the others. The diner is a place where I'm happy and a place where I can help make others feel happy too. It's a place where a good day didn't necessarily mean potentially ruining another person's."

The librarian squeezed the werewolf's arm. "Well, I for one am glad you were there the first time I walked in. Though, I can see you being a deputy as well. May I ask what happened exactly with the case you were working on?"

"I found a human heart in a wooden box out by the toll bridge." Ruby said nonchalantly as she opened the door to the sheriff's station. She did it mostly to see Belle's reaction and it was priceless. Belle's jaw had dropped in horror at how calmly the werewolf talked about the incident. "Seriously though that is what happened. This was when Kathryn, David's Storybrooke wife went missing because she was leaving, but because we can't leave Storybrooke something happened. I don't know the exact details, but from what I understood is that Regina was setting Snow- Mary Margaret up for murder since Mary Margaret was having an affair with David."

Seeing that she was beginning to lose Belle, Ruby stopped talking. "I'll draw out a diagram on the back of one of the paper placemats at the diner while we eat lunch. Since this did happen before the curse broke. Long story short, just when I thought I got out of that kind of 'good day's work', I'm the one who found Kathryn, very much alive in the back of the alley way a few weeks later. Ever since, Emma has kept me on the payroll as a part time deputy when she really needs my help. Otherwise I work at the diner with Granny."

Ruby pressed the answer machine to the phone as series of complaints and panic calls from yesterday were played. As the messages went on Ruby set the station's phone to be directed to her cell phone in case someone else called. Belle sat in one of the chairs and looked around while Ruby jotted some messages down.

"It's… funny."

The waitress looked up from her notes. "What is?"

Belle shook her head and gave a nervous chuckle. "I didn't realize how much I was taken this town for granted since I've lived here so differently from everyone else. Being a psych ward patient for most of my Storybrooke life here and then essentially waking up as Belle again… I'm thankful to at least know what everything in this world is unlike Hook or anyone else who came from the Enchanted Forest after the curse broke."

Ruby folded her notes and tucked inside her inner coat pocket before sitting on top of what is essentially her desk as part-time deputy. "I'm sorry if this brings up any bad memories, but since we never did get around to talking about our Storybrooke selves before… Was it actually Lacey who was the psych patient or was it another version of you and Lacey is a third person you became?"

"I think it was Lacey… I can't tell you for sure yet since most of any recollection I really have here is being either the psych patient, myself, or Lacey. But last night and most of today small things have been coming back to me that have more to do with Lacey than me as Belle. I remember things that I know did not happen, but are put there because of our Storybrooke parts." Belle stood up slowly. "How were you able to handle two sets of memories?"

"Maybe it's time we go grab lunch. Because we're getting into topics that probably would be better answered with food in our bellies." Ruby said as she opened the draw to her desk and pulled out her deputy badge. "Just in case it's needed."

* * *

"You asked back in the station who I was able to handle two sets of memories, well, to be honest it wasn't as hard for me I think to adjust to it." Ruby began as she finished eating her fries. "Back in the Enchanted Forest, I was running for my life. Most of my childhood was me growing to hate Granny because of how overprotective she was of me. Keep in mind I didn't now I was a werewolf growing up, Granny kept that a secret from me until I… until I ate my boyfriend, Peter. This was when I first met Snow, I was at the breaking point of Granny being protective of me and I wanted freedom. I wanted to not have to be scared of this wolf that was haunting my village every full moon. I didn't want to have to always wear my red riding hood even while I slept at night. I didn't want to be the odd girl in my village. And meeting Snow, I found someone who wanted to help me gain that freedom. When this happened we thought Peter was the wolf. So he helped me chain him up, but… it was me. I didn't have control of the wolf back then. How could I? I didn't even know I was a werewolf! Ever since that incident I had been on the run. I travelled with Snow for most of the time since she was running away from Regina, but we kind of parted ways a bit after we met the dwarves."

Belle continued to sit silently as she listened to her friend.

"At some point, I ran into a pack of children of the moon. Turns out that pack was led by my mother. She and the rest of the pack taught me how to control the wolf. She taught be to accept that I am the wolf, but it didn't work out the way she wanted it to. Granny wanted me to be human. My mother wanted me to be a wolf. As for me, I wanted to be me. The wolf and Red were one being. And now because of the curse, Red and the wolf also are one with Ruby. Ruby is who I think I would have been if Granny wasn't overprotective of me and if I wasn't a werewolf. While I may have two sets of memories, I was able to accept them easily because I am all of them. I am Red Lucas from the story _The Little Red Riding Hood_, but with a darker twist than this world's version of my story since I am also my wolf counterpart to my story. I am also Ruby Lucas, resident of Storybrooke who works in her Granny's diner as well as the Bed and Breakfast. For twenty-eight years I didn't have to live the way I did as in the Enchanted Forest… so, to answer your question after rambling on with my problems before the curse, I pick and choose from both Red's and Ruby's memories and learn to accept things from my past and figure out who do I want to be now. While I was born Red Lucas, I want to be Ruby Lucas, but I accept the fact that I am still Red as well as Ruby."

With that Ruby took a sip of her water to ease her nerves of opening herself completely to her friend.

"From the sounds of it, what you're saying is you actually had practice in accepting multiple sides of you because you're human and a wolf. And that I need to figure out who I want to be now instead of thinking who I was then, yes?" Ruby smiled sheepishly and nodded at Belle's question. "Well, with Lacey she was definitely more adventurous."

"I don't know. I think we can debate over the definition of adventurous, but did that at least help you? I'm only one person out everyone else in the town dealing with dual identities."

"Yes, I think you helped me get a start on figuring out who I am now. Though it probably won't be easy if I keep having more of Lacey's memories continue to pop in my mind." Belle nervously laughed as she sipped the rest of her iced tea. "So, Ruby is the name you'll identify with? I'd prefer to continue to be Belle since I don't exactly like being associated with Lacey even though she and I are one."

Ruby smiled. "That's a good start there. If it counts, I like Belle more than Lacey in terms of identity. Though I am curious who is better at pool, you or I?"

"Well..." Belle reached over and wiped away the ketchup from Ruby's chin. "You'll just have to find out won't you?"


End file.
